Training & Recovery

Ride Hard, Recover Harder

If you’re hammering every day, you’re probably holding yourself back. Here’s how to not go all-out just right.

anne stein

(Photo by The road to becoming a better cyclist is paved not only with the miles you pedal, but the time you spend off the bike. (Lupi Spuma))

Though he spends thousands of hours on the bike, some of Chris Horner’s most important race prep takes place on the couch. “It’s a physical and mental break,” says the RadioShack-Nissan pro, about getting off his feet and paying attention to his remote instead of his watts.

Plenty of everyday cyclists log far fewer miles than Horner, yet risk injury, overtraining, and burnout by neglecting this kind of down time. “They think they can’t afford to go easy,” says Stephen Cheung, PhD, a professor of kinesiology at Brock University in Ontario and coauthor of Cutting-Edge Cycling. “But recovery is just as valuable as training, if not more so.”

One of the ways you become a better cyclist is through muscular adaptation. In very basic terms, this is what happens: The stress of training causes micro tears in your muscles. Your body then repairs the damage, which results in an inflammatory response (the swelling and tenderness­ you feel after a hard workout or race). This rebuilding process creates stronger muscles—but only if the body has adequate time to heal. “If you start your next ride when you’re not completely recovered,” says Max Testa, MD, chief medical officer for Team BMC and former team doctor with 7-Eleven and Motorola, “your body’s at a disadvantage and you’ll grow more tired and gain less from each workout.”

But recovery isn’t just about sitting on the couch with your legs up. It’s also about not going hard all the time and using days off wisely. Strategies like low-intensity rides and massage allow your muscles to benefit from all the work you’ve put in. Here’s how to maximize every minute you spend in—and out—of the saddle.

But Isn’t Inflammation Good?
You might be wondering why you should limit inflammation if it ultimately helps muscles grow stronger. Some inflammation is good when training, says Testa, but you don’t want so much that you’re too sore or tired to ride. The muscle-soothing, injury-preventing­ ­effects of simple recovery methods can help you face your next hard ride fresh and ready to go. Especially if you’re doing a stage race, or a multiday or century ride, Testa says, it’s critical to wake up feeling capable of more miles. It’s the main reason Tour de France riders put in two to three hours in the saddle on rest days.